Barrister Trish Maguire, recently appointed a QC takes over a brief from an injured colleague. This involves an explosion at a Northumberland farm, where a chemical waste company have leased land for their disposal tanks. This disaster has killed the farm owner.

The farm owner's wife Angie, aided by members of an environmental pressure group is suing the waste company, which Trish is now representing. As the case progresses Trish believes that sabotage is behind the accident. She also has to deal with a damaged and disruptive friend of her adopted half-brother. Angie also has a problem that she tries to ignore, their only son who left the farm several years ago after a row complaining that his father was manipulating both his and his mother's lives.

The author believes in raising and tackling social issues, particularly where injustice is involved. She can tell a good story and the book is an interesting read. My only complaint is that the heroine Trish now seems to be both a legal expert and detective. The police friend introduced in previous books - Detective Chief Inspector Caro Lyalt - plays only a bit part in this book. Trish does come across as very worthy and almost too good to be true, but having to deal with her wimp of a partner, the solicitor George and the equally wimpish half brother David perhaps that's understandable! These criticisms apart, A POISONED MIND is well plotted and entertaining.

Geoff Jones, England
March 2008

Details of the author's other books with links to reviews can be found on the Books page.
More European crime fiction reviews can be found on the Reviews page.